Qi Xia fell into a deep silence, his mind racing as he processed Lin Qin's words. After a long moment, he spoke again, his tone measured and sharp. "You’re telling me that while all of the {Adherents of Judgment's Domain} want to protect this place, you don't share that intention."
"And you're willing to take an entirely different path than them, one that leads to the destruction of this place?"
"In that case..." Qi Xia narrowed his eyes, a glimmer of skepticism still flickering in his gaze. "Why bother with the pretense? Why continue to call yourself an {Adherent} when your intentions align more with {Passage to Heaven} or the {Participants}? Wouldn't it be simpler to just conceal your identity and blend in as a {Participant}?"
Lin Qin gave him an almost amused look. "I truly can't hide anything from you," she said. "When I explained the {madman theory} to you, I felt as though you saw straight through me. Rather than wait for the day you uncover the truth on your own, I thought it better to simply tell you."
"Is that so..." Qi Xia nodded thoughtfully. "I thought you weren't crazy, but it seems you're even more insane than {Judgment's Domain}."
Lin Qin's smile didn't falter. "I'm clear-headed," she said, taking another sip from her bottle, her cheeks flushed slightly. "I majored in psychology in the real world. How could I possibly be a madman?"
"Who said I haven’t tried?" Lin Qin replied with a sigh, her tone laced with a quiet frustration. "Every time I touched you, I would ask, {What’s on your mind?}. Yet each time, your emotional state remained sealed tight—overrun with a longing for your wife. You couldn’t even feel my {Boosting Touch}."
Seeing that Qi Xia remained silent, Lin Qin’s expression softened further, her voice tinged with sincerity. "I want to form an alliance with you, Qi Xia. I have no other choice but to turn to you now."
Qi Xia didn’t answer immediately. His fingers continued to peel the peanuts absentmindedly, while Lin Qin took another sip of beer, their conversation now falling into a comfortable lull. It was strange—one eating peanuts, the other drinking beer—just two people talking like old friends, but with stakes that neither could deny.
"Last time, you mentioned wanting to return to the real world to verify something—what exactly was it?"
Lin Qin's smile broadened, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of her lips. "I never told you, did I? That matter… it changed me." She leaned back slightly. "Qi Xia, you did manage to escape this place. Though you’ve become nothing more than a living corpse, a mere shell existing on a material plane—you did it. You got out."
Qi Xia’s expression faltered, his brows knitting slightly. He took a moment before responding, "You’ve seen me in the real world?"
"Well, not exactly." Lin Qin smiled and said, "I just heard about you. In my time, you lived in the hospital where my friend worked. You were… a complete madman. You’d walk around, spouting wild theories like {The End is Nigh}, {No One Shall Survive}, and {Deception of Gods}. You caused endless headaches for everyone at the hospital, and they couldn’t figure out what to do with you."
Qi Xia’s expression darkened, his voice tinged with a subtle edge. "Then what is it that you want to go back and confirm...?"
Lin Qin’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling with a strange amusement. "I want to confirm whether that person is you." Her gaze softened, almost wistful. "After all, when my friend described the old man to me, I couldn’t help but feel he resembled you. His logical thinking is sharp, it’s just a pity that he has lost his mind."
"So, was he truly me?"
"It is likely that he is," Lin Qin nodded thoughtfully. "Although the old man has neither name nor title, and remains unresponsive when others call him {Qi Xia}, the moment they utter the name {Yu Nian'An}, he falls into a complete collapse."
She paused before proceeding to giggle. "I had my friend test this many times, constantly whispering {Yu Nian'An} in his ear. The result... was quite amusing."
Qi Xia crushed a peanut, his gaze cold as he turned to Lin Qin. "So that’s why you say I... became a living corpse, a person reduced to mere material existence." His voice was tinged with a weary despair. "You think that if you follow me, you will find some way to escape this place."
"Yes!" Lin Qin nodded eagerly, a gleam of conviction in her eyes. "You didn’t die in 2022, but lived on until 2068. Isn’t that proof enough? A 72-year-old elderly man, still alive against all odds."
"You still don’t understand me." Qi Xia shook his head, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him. "If I really returned to reality and lost Yu Nian'An, I would never make it to 2068."
"So you’re saying... that old man is not you?" Lin Qin chuckled, lifting her bottle and giving it a casual shake. "Perhaps, in the future, something will happen, and you’ll have to keep living—even without Yu Nian'An."
Qi Xia locked his gaze with hers, lost in thought for a moment. Then, he nodded slowly, a cold smile curving his lips. "Alright, I agree to join forces. Let me witness the misfortune that awaits in the future."
So, it seems that in order to survive in this place, the most crucial element is {deception}.
Lin Qin’s smile deepened as she returned his gaze, the unspoken understanding passing between them like a silent pact. The terms were set.
After Yun Yao finished her song, she eagerly hit the play button on the tape recorder, singing the same tune again at the enthusiastic call of {encore} from the group. It seemed she had only just found the tape of this single song.
Qi Xia turned his attention to Lin Qin, asking casually, "How long have you been wandering here?"
Lin Qin met his gaze. "Do you think my answer will be the truth?" she teased.
"I trust I can discern the truth from the nuances of your response."
Lin Qin’s smile deepened. "A long time, longer than you might imagine. You can say I am a seasoned {Adherent}, a veteran of great experience."
"Have you ever seen me before?" Qi Xia pressed.
Lin Qin shook her head. "No, I haven't. I've wandered through {End Point} far longer than Chu Tianqiu, but until now, I have never crossed paths with you."
Qi Xia furrowed his brows, a ripple of confusion passing over him. This response, in contrast to his expectations, left him with more questions than answers. "This question is of great significance to me," he continued, his gaze piercing as he locked eyes with Lin Qin. "I hope you're telling the truth."
"Really." Lin Qin nodded, "I know what you're thinking, Qi Xia, and I won't deceive you on this matter. In these past seven years, I’ve never come across any mention of you, nor heard of your formidability within {End Point}. As for anything before that... I can’t even confirm if {End Point} truly existed beyond that time."
"Seven years?!" Qi Xia's voice sharpened, disbelief flashing across his features.
Had his inference been completely wrong?
He had assumed, based on {White Tiger}'s account, that he had wandered {End Point} for an extended period, yet the truth remained elusive. What had happened in those seven years?
Qi Xia’s mind raced, his thoughts sharp and calculating. He knew that his intellect remained untouched by the passage of time or the cycles. In other words, every time he awoke in {End Point}, the events of the {Probation Room} would inevitably unfold. If he encountered {Earthly Branches} within the city, he would confront them head-on. If fortune favored him and he managed to retain his memories, he would leave a trail of devastation throughout the entire realm.
He was destined to meet countless individuals, and in his wake, many {Earthly Branches} would fall. But why had none of this occurred over the span of seven years?
‘Did I not pass the {Probation} once in these seven years?’
Qi Xia's gaze turned icy, and at that moment, a chilling realization gripped him. He abruptly turned his head to face Lin Qin, his voice low, yet laced with suspicion. "Then when did you infiltrate our {Probation Room}?" he demanded. "If you've never seen me before, why would you willingly join our team?"
Lin Qin slowly extended her fingers, counting as she spoke. "This should be the third time we’ve crossed paths," she said, her eyes meeting Qi Xia’s with a curious intensity. "The first time I encountered you was within a game, but unfortunately, you lost your life. The second was when I entered the {Probation Room}, and now, this is the third time."
A sly smile tugged at her lips as she added, "I’ve never met anyone who could face off against {Earthly Branches} consecutively without triggering any {Reverberation}, yet somehow, you did. It's a pity that you met your end in a mundane {Terrestrial Chicken} game."
Qi Xia's expression darkened, the weight of her words settling over him. "So you're saying..." His voice was heavy, each word measured. "I’ve only been in {End Point} for three cycles?"